Ice-pocket for oyster-packages



(No Model.) V

J TLSTONE. ICE POGKET FOR OYSTER PACKAGES.

N0. 438,891; Patented Oct. 14, 1890.

WITNESSES: N NTOR:

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN T. STONE, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ICE-POCKET FOR OYSTER-PACKAGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 438,391, dated October 14, 1890.

Application filed May 5, 1890. Serial No. 350,565. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN T. STONE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Baltimore, in the State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ice- Pockets for Oyster-Packages, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to means for refrigcrating shucked oysters while they are being transported in vessels or packages. For shipping shelled or shucked oysters in bulk from the seaboard to the interior of the country various kinds of packages are used, such as pails, kegs, and barrels. this invention is to provide for these packages an improved means of refrigerating the oysters in transit.

The invention will first be described and its advantages pointed out, and then claimed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a vertical section of an ordinary oyster-pail, showing the improved ice-pocket full of ice. Fig. 2 is a view of the top of the pail. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the pail, showing the position and form of the pocket when the ice has melted. Fig.4 is a vertical section of a pail, showing the ice-pocket suspended in a different manner from that seen in Fig. 1.

The letter A designates the vessel or package of any suitable kind containing the shucked oysters, which are placed in the package in bulk. It is deemed desirable to have the packages as full as possible, in order thereby to prevent the oysters from moving or being agitated while traveling. Any consider able agitation or sloshing movement of the tender oysters proves injurious to them, andif in order to refrigerate the oysters a lump of ice be placed loose in their midst the movement to which the loose ice and the oysters may be subjected results in mashing and cutting the oysters. To obviate this and other objections, I provide a flexible pocket B to contain the ice, and suspend said pocket in the midst, as near as possible in the center, of the bulk of oysters. The pocket is suspended in such relation to the sides and bottom of the vessel or package containing the oysters that it cannot come in violent contact with The object of its sides, as it'is this mashing and cutting of the tender oyster that cause the damage. When placed in the oysters loosely without any means of securing it, as is practlced at present, the ice soon settles down through the bulk to the bottom, and then as the mot on of the train is constantly jarring or lifting the ice from the bottom and letting it fall back again it mashes the oysters that sl p n under it; and as the bottom of the vessel is rendered very slippery by the liquor of the oyster the least lateral movement or tipp ng of the vessel causes the lump of ice to slide against the side of the vessel and mash any oysters that may be caught between it and the side of the vessel. In shipping oysters in the shell there is not the liability of damage by the ice moving about among them, and it would be impossible for it to crush the shell, even if it could move about freely, like 1t can with the bulk oysters, which, however, it cannot do. In such vessels or packages therefore it is not necessary to suspend or secure the ice in any manner; but it is necessary that it be introduced into'the vessel before all of the oysters are placed in it. The vessel need not be water-tight, nor need it be always kept in the same position, while with the bulk oysters the vessel must necessarily be watertight, and always be kept in the same position, unless it is provided with a water tight cover to prevent the liquor from escapmg 1f the vessel should happen to be inverted.

The pocket B is preferably made of cheap cotton cloth, muslin, or some similar goods to inclose and cover the ice. The pocket may be in the form of a bag, a size suited to the size of the particlar oyster-package with which it is to be used. Ice must be placed in the pocket and the latter tied, as at c. The

pocket containing the ice is then suspended by cords or other suitable means attached to the top, bottom, or the walls of the package in the midst of the bulk of oysters. I prefer to suspend the ice-pocket B by cords d from the top or cover 6 of the package. In Fig. 1 two holes f are shown in the cover, and the cords dare drawn through these holes and tied, as at d, outside. By this arrangement of suspending, the verticalpositiorflorlheight of the ice-pocket may be readily adjusted.

Another manner of suspending the pocket is shown in Fig. 4. Here cords g project from opposite sides of the bag and are attached to screw-eyes h in the wall of the package.

The position of the ice in the midst of the bulk is most favorable to refrigeration. The fact that the ice-pocket B is suspended and closely surrounded by the oysters, and the package A being full, insures that the oysters will not be mashed, bruised, or out. As the ice melts the water therefrom will strain through the cloth pocket and mix with the oysters without injuring them; butall dirt or like impurities will be retained in the pocket and will not mingle with the oysters. As the ice melts the pocket collapses and finally takes the position shown in Fig. 3. Thus whether the pocket is distended by the ice or is collapsed after the ice has melted the package A may always be and remain full while in transit.

Having described my invention, I claim 1. The combination, with a Water-tight vessel having a removable cover fortransporting bulk or shucked oysters, of a flexible pervious pocket in which ice may be inclosed, and means for securing it from comingin contact with the interior of the vessel.

I 2. The combination, with a water-tight vessel having a removable cover for transporting bulk oysters, ofv a flexible pocket in which ice may-be inclosed, and cords for closing the pocket and adjustably suspending it within the midst of the bulk, and from coming in contact with the sides of the vessel.

3. The combination, with a water-tightvessel the cover of which is removable and provided with holes, of an ice-pocket, and cords extending from the pocket up to and through the holes and tied upon the outside, whereby the position of the pocket may be changed, and it may be kept from coming in contact with the interior of the vessel.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JOHN T. STONE. Witnesses:

JOHN E. MORRIS, J NO. '1. MADDoX. 

